Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-08-26
The Tobacco Question.

OF OUtttHtWo SeSy- In
ce
The Toba eco question. b.
In another Co umn farmer suggests r
hat it is desirable to have meeting OF
obacco growers to consider the question .
Of regulating the market for Maryland :
tobacco. He suggests, among other things .
TO be considered. some means OF counter
acting the one-man power which seems to .
him to be reposed in the agent OF the
French government who succeeds IN get
ting the annual contract for furnishing
that government with its supply OF our
tobacco.
We think that meetings and conferences q
among farmers are always desirable. Inc
many disadvantages under which the agri-
cultural producers labor all result from
lack of organization, cooperation and
concert of action among them. All other
professions, trades and occupations have
their unions and associations effectively
organized with a view of securing that
mutual protection and advancement OF
their particular interests which result from
united and concerted action to a common
purpose. But the farmers. who need 't
more than all the others, have nothing OF
the sort. It was thought that the Grange
organization, which some ten years ago
was so much in favor, could have snppiled
that great need among the agricultural
class; but owing to some defects IN IT'S
constitution or other cause, it has, IN TINS
section of country at least, gone quite out
of fashion and passed into very inani-
mate kind of desuetude.
Whether the decline of the Grange as
an organization in this section was due to
defects in its mode of operation, or to a
lack of public spirit among our people, 1t
is unnecessary now to inquire. 1t was
probably due in part to both OF these
causes. Neither is it now necessary to go
into the feasibili,yor prac.icability of the
resurrection of the Grange as an agricul-
turai organization. What we now need
for the purpose Of regulating the trade In
MARYLAND leaf tobacco is an effective or
panization of the tobacco growers OF
MARYLAND. This we believe could be
easily accomplished and effectually main
tanned if some energetic, public spirited
man who has sufficient leisure, would
t.ke the trouble to mature plan of or
an;zat;on and take the initiative in put
ting it in operatian.
The nrndne4snsyy sysf g he b. counties Of Prince
George 3, Charles, st. Mary's, Calvert, lune
Arundel and Montgomery, the latter coun-
ty in fact producing very little 1t would
not be very difficult matter to organize
the tobacco growers of this comparative
ly small section of the State into a com.
pact and effective association. or union. if
the proper means were adopted. Each
county could have its local association. to
hold its meetings, say once month with
a general meeting of the association at
some central point, say once a quarter
These local associations could also be in
constant communication with each other
through their corresponding secretaries.
Through them the actual extent and con.
dition Of the tobacco crop il the State
could be definitely ascertained from time
to time; and with this certain information
IN hand the association could be in sit. |
uation to deal firmly and intelligently
with the trade in our production. Capt.
tai could be brought into the association
to be advanced to members whose neces-
stiles might demand an early realization
upon their crop and the tobacco thus ad.
vsnced upon, and other tobacco fn the
control of the association, TO be held. free
OF storage, in the State warehouses until
such time as the interests of the producer
might warrant a sale.
This is the gist of what heconstitutiou
OF such an association should be, and these \
and other features could be effectively
carried out by such an organization. The
advantages of such sn association are welllt
demonstrated by the recent Boom nil IN West K
ern tobacco, brought about by a controll- Q
ing influence being exerted Oh the supply. Is
If the Maryland supply could be so con- d
trolled today, similar, though probably Il
not SO decided benefit would promptly b
result to the Maryland producer. But in \
stead of that the Baltimore commission G.
merchants, upon whose tender mercies the ly
Maryland producers now rely and to whom te
chiefly they look for advice, are urging 1
hem to let the well supply come at once te
o market and be sold without delay at tr
present prices, insisting that they see no I'll
prospect Of an advance and blaming those P
Who hold out such hopes to the farmers. "
In addition to proper control Of. the tb
upply, with view to an advantageous al
ale, which could thus be SO we'll effected re
uch an association would result in i'm W
roved methods Of eultivatiag, curing a.d 70 %
andling the crop and the sintroduction of co
1e best variies of tobacco, all looking to pc
1e substantial imnyavouont - ,.a ~ L.
y, '"o ''aly di
wv nno"eoncn' vi is VaIue Ou
nd the creation of a wider demand and cy
ore extensive market for it.. We have fro
ever been able to understand why we icy
'ould not be able to produce in Maryland 81,
e finer grades of tobacco suited to dom tio
tic manufacture, such as are so success the
lily produced in Virginia. The condi- ant
ons of soil and climate are not materially o". ~.
fferent, and many Virginia tobacco fay
overs with whom we have eonrersed tceu
We expressed the opinion that, If we DIT
anted the same kinds of tobacco in nes w
aryland that they do in Virginia Aand be
lowed the same mefhod of ;n,..@[ ;, If,o,